The song's lyrics focus on the concept of free expression and the constraints placed on rappers by radio censorship. The song is notable for including lines criticising other rappers for not swearing in order to get radio airplay despite the song itself containing no profanity, being based on a pop-music sample with a clearly 'radio friendly' tone.

The track listing for this single was added to the 2002 re-release of N.W.A's debut album Straight Outta Compton as the last 4 songs. The single's last song "A Bitch Iz a Bitch" appeared on the 1989 reissue of N.W.A. and the Posse as its fourth track.

In 1989, the Australian government youth radio station Triple J played the song on continuous loop for 24 hours (360 times in a row) while the station went on a protest strike against censorship.[4] After playing NWA's "Fuck tha Police" for six months, government action had forced the station to stop playing the song. At that time Triple J had been the only station in the world playing the controversial song. Continuously playing the band's other popular song during this strike was deemed an appropriate response to show solidarity with the band and dissatisfaction with the decision.

The music video starts with a black and white video of slaves working on a plantation. The video then moves to the ghetto, as the band members walk through it and dance with the local residents. A "No Rapping" sign is shown. A mounted policeman (played by Skeeter Rader) enforces the law on the crowd. Occasionally band members are depicted rapping in a prison environment. Later on Dr. Dre plays the role of the US president. At one point he is talking on the phone with Mikhail Gorbachev, and a photo of Martin Luther King can be seen in the background. A parody of John F. Kennedy's assassination follows. The video ends with Dr. Dre being executed in an electric chair. In the version appearing on the EMIYouTube channel numerous parts are blurred out including logos and faces.

Between the Rancid releases of ...And Out Come the Wolves and Life Won't Wait from 1995 to 1998, Tim Armstrong recorded a version of "Express Yourself" with the band The Silencers on the Life Won't Wait Demos. The first half of the demo consists of Rancid demos and the second half consists of The Silencers demos. Stretch Arm Strong also recorded a version of "Express Yourself" for "Engage."